Well-known creationist Kent
Hovind touts his unsatisfied $250,000 challenge to anyone
who can "prove" evolution as evidence for creationism. The challenge
is rigged, of course. For example, since the Big Bang is part of
evolution, Hovind argues, you will have to produce an actual Big Bang
to get the award. Hovind also tours the country preaching creationism
to large crowds, and is constantly challenging "evolutionists" to
debate at these evangelism sessions.

Kent Hovind has been challenged to a REAL debate - a scientific
debate - in the pages of this newsletter, and on the World Wide Web.
Hovind has refused this debate. Details of this exchange follow.

The saga begins with the printing of the January 2000 NMSR
Reports, specifically the Best and Worst of 1999 Awards. These
were also posted on the NMSR website at http://www.nmsr.org .

Kent Hovind's Award read as follows:

 The P. T. Barnum "One Born
Every Minute" Award goes to "Dr. Dino" himself, creationist speaker
Kent Hovind, who on May 7th, 1999, in a packed room in Philadelphia,
urged his audience to study convincing new evidence of humans living
with dinosaurs. Hovind's evidence, a web site at
http://www.darwindisproved.com/Archive.html
*, turned out to be the annual NMSR April Fool's
prank.

You have received an award from New Mexicans
for Science and Reason, in the annual "Best and Worst of the Year"
category.

Your award can be seen on the web at
http://www.nmsr.org/nmsr_hot.htm

Check out our home page at
http://www.nmsr.org/

Enjoy!

Dave Thomas, NMSR

On Jan. 16, 2000, I received an e-mail correspondence from Kent
Hovind. In his short letter, he challenged me to find
"some evolutionists brave enough to defend
their religion against me in a public debate." Hovind also
offered to "come at my expense and debate your
best 3 or 4 at a time in a university setting. Call me to schedule a
time."

My reply to Hovind, sent on Jan. 18th, 2000:

Dear Dr. Dino,

We're not interested in helping you to
recruit "clowns" for your creationist circuses. If it's a real debate
you want, we'll be happy to debate you, point-by-point, on the pages
of our monthly newsletter (and also our web-site).

Simply send an essay of 750 words or less to
me at <det@rt66.com>,
and we'll print it verbatim and unaltered for our constituents (NM
and national scientists, media, etc.), along with a 750-word
response. We can go for as many months as it takes.

Do you have the guts to defend your religion
in print?

A word about the reason for your award - you
received the P.T. Barnum "One Born Every Minute" Award because you
were hoodwinked by a sleazy pro-evolution April Fool's
prank.
And you endorsed our prank in public. (We have
witnesses)

The scientific community noticed, though. It
even made the cover of NCSE Reports! Thanks for your help in
making Onyate Man a smashing success!

Looking forward to your first 750-word
installment of the written debate. Be sure to send a snail-mail
address where I can send the hard-copy editions of NMSR
Reports.

Best regards,

Dave Thomas

On Jan. 22, 2000, Hovind replied. He said simply
"Are the presidential candidates 'clowns'?
Public open debate is healthy and if you are secure in the knowledge
of your evolution religion. [sic]"

I sent the following to Hovind on Jan. 22, 2000:

Dear Kent Hovind :

If the presidential debates were rigged like
your creationism evangelism shows, then they would indeed be
circuses, and some candidates would indeed be stuck in the role of
the "clowns."

But I agree with you that open public debate
is healthy. The main difference between what you propose (a "live"
debate) and what I propose (a written debate published in our
newsletter, and posted on the web) is that many more people would
have the chance to read the debaters' remarks, and ponder them at
their leisure.

Is that what you're afraid of?
Letting the people have time to think about and research your
remarks?

I'm afraid I'm going to have to report to
our readers that Kent Hovind has refused our very fair offer of a
written debate.

You could change all that, just by
submitting your first 750-word essay, which we'll print and post
verbatim and unaltered, along with our 750-word-or-less response.
What could be fairer than that?

Well, one thing WOULD be fairer, and that
would be for YOU to publish both yours and our essays on YOUR web
site and newsletter as well. But we're not demanding that.

What'll it be, Dr. Dino? If I don't hear
from you by Jan. 31, 2000, I will have to report to our readers that
Kent Hovind has no stomach for a fair debate with real
scientists.

"My original offer is always open. Schedule
a time for a debate when you work up the courage."

I sent the following on Jan. 25th, 2000:

Dear Dr. Dino:

If you want to go around the country holding
evangelist revival meetings, that's fine. But do not interpret our
reluctance to assist you in setting up these circus meetings as a
lack of "courage."

On the other hand, you could demonstrate
"courage" simply by presenting your arguments to the people in print,
without benefit of razzle-dazzle debate tricks to cover up your total
lack of supporting data.

If you ever gain enough confidence in your
beliefs to actually put them down in writing, please feel free to
submit your first 750-word essay to NMSR at that time.

Jeremiah 23:32
Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD,
and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by
their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore
they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.